Nightmare
by The Emerald Shapeshifter
Summary: REUPLOADED! Part 3 of the Disaster series. You can never get rid of the Shadow. You can only chase it off with the pure rays of the morning sun, but it will always return...
1. Chapter 1

**Nightmare**

**A SRMTHFG Fanfiction**

Sequel to His Legacy, Part Three of the Disaster Trilogy.

They think it's over. Too bad, they don't realize evil cannot be fully vanquished.

On the eve of Chiro's birthday, a spirit arrives. But no good spirit—it torments young Chiro, and he slowly begins to lose himself… But, the spiritual silver member of the team is on a journey to the far reaches of the galaxy, now, to find the last missing link to Chiro's hazy past: the only person who can save him.

**Chapter One: Calm Before the storm**

A soft, hissing sound echoed through the Super Robot. It was dawn, and the Hyperforce would wake up soon. The hiss then turned into a quiet laughter that would chill anyone to the bone.

_"So many memories lost in this place,"_ a voice whispered. _"But, new ones to be regained. I just have to find _his_ body."_

An apparition floated down the hall; it contained no form, no shape, nothing. It radiated malevolence, hatred, _evil_. It suddenly stopped at a doorway and peered in. If it could have, it would have smiled. _This_ was the room it was looking for…

But it couldn't. The room was now filled with sunlight. It took too long to find this one particular room. Of course, the Super Robot was big. It took a long time for outsiders to find anything.

The apparition looked out the bedroom's window as it began to fade. The moon was almost full. Tonight. Tonight, at midnight, the full moon would be in the center of the sky, and it would return to claim what it had lost.

As it vanished from sight, a mumbling could be heard from the room it had been peering into.

Chiro finally woke up.

—

"Now, Antauri, we're setting up the stuff for Chiro's birthday party, so make sure he doesn't come anywhere near the main room," Gibson told the silver simian.

Antauri nodded. He left to find the birthday boy.

He found Chiro in his room, looking through a small book with a red cover. Antauri's robotic heart pounded in his chest. That was the book that Chiro kept as a record of him being…

The Skeleton Prince.

But, of course, the pages were empty. Or, so he thought.

Antauri peered at the page Chiro was on. He activated his binocular vision, and he could see…words. He gasped. But, catching himself, he read.

But before he could, Chiro slammed the book shut and threw it out of his room. It hit the far wall in the hallway, falling page-down on the cold metal floor. Chiro then ran out of his room. Antauri could see that Chiro was about to fall down, but the boy stumbled along as he continued to run. He never saw Antauri standing there.

The party would have to wait.

Antauri reached out and grabbed the small red book. He opened the pages, and saw something new on the very first one:

_My time has come again. This time, he will submit to my power. There is no escape._

On the next one, it said this:

_The time of the Skeleton Prince has come again._

Antauri froze. The book fell out of his nerveless fingers. He echoed the movements of his young leader; only, he was going to find Chiro.

—

He found Chiro sitting on the shoulder of the Super Robot, anxiety emanating from him as he watched the sun. It was almost five, meaning the sun was setting.

"Chiro." Antauri spoke softly.

Chiro didn't answer. He didn't even seem like he was listening.

Antauri walked slowly up to him and put a metallic hand on his shoulder. Chiro's reaction was amazing. He flung himself backwards and sideways; if not for that, he would have completely jumped off the Super Robot and to a sure death. He landed with a thud, his breathing heavy in fright.

"It is just me, Chiro," Antauri said, shocked by Chiro's sudden reaction. He stepped forward.

Chiro didn't speak. He just stood up and slowly backed away. Then, he finally spoke two words.

"He's coming."

"I know," the silver monkey answered, nodding his head. "I read the book. Your journal."

"I…I need to go home…" Chiro murmured, as if in a daze. "I need to go…home…" He sat down and shook his head slowly.

"Chiro, no, running isn't going to help," Antauri stated, kneeling down next to his friend. "We need to face this, together. Remember what happened last time?"

Chiro's hand unconsciously went to his heart.

"I remember," he whispered. "I remember a lot of things. Weird things, good things, but mostly, _bad_ things. That seems to be the most common. I only have two things good in my life."

Antauri cocked his head, silently asking.

"The Hyperforce, and…" Chiro stopped suddenly. He didn't continue for a while. Antauri didn't press. He finally spoke, and Antauri could barely hear his voice.

He only caught one word. "…Family…"

Antauri blinked. The sun's light was fading, but he could see still. He wondered…Chiro never, ever mentioned his past to the team. Could the key be in his long-forgotten past? What had Chiro dealt with as a kid?

A soft voice reached him. "At least…hope…"

As Chiro got up to leave, Antauri grabbed his arm tightly. It seemed to clear his clouded mind and he whirled around to face the silver monkey. "What?"

"I don't want you leaving us, Chiro," Antauri said. "We can help. Besides…it's your birthday. We still have a party to celebrate."

Finally, at last, a smile creeped across Chiro's face.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two: Full Moon Nights**

The others were quietly informed of the situation at hand, but reminded not to talk to Chiro about it. He was bad enough as it was. They celebrated his birthday, as planned, and Chiro enjoyed it. But he barely spoke.

Then, finally, came the birthday presents. Jinmay got Chiro a white guitar—emblazoned with precious stones and pieces of precious metal, each one representing a color of each monkey team member. There was a pearl for Antauri, an emerald for Otto, a sapphire for Gibson, a ruby for Sparx, a small sphere of solid gold for Nova, and, last but not least—a rare, sunset orange diamond for Chiro. Each respective piece was aligned with the Hyperforce insignia that was painted on the face of it.

Chiro smiled. The pick was pastel pink, with a hot pink heart—obviously Jinmay's idea. He strummed the golden strings of his new guitar.

Gibson, Nova, and Sparx had all chipped together to make an album with hundreds of pictures of the team in it, all of their moments, together.

Otto took his free time for almost two weeks to make personally, by hand, small, wooden figurines of each member of the Hyperforce, and each person they met on their journey that helped them the slightest bit. Now everyone knew what the small green mechanic had been doing in his room all that time. The figurines were perfect down to every detail, even the paint and colors on each of them. He even did Antauri both black and silver; the silver one had silver over the wood to emphasize the point, and to also point out how much Antauri meant to the team in a silent gesture that only Otto and Chiro got. No one knew he had that much talent with wood.

Antauri, last but not least, gave Chiro a small necklace. It was nothing truly special; only a round piece of silver with a smaller circle in the center.

Chiro looked at Antauri, who winked. Both of them knew what it was and what it did when needed. The others didn't.

They had cake, they had Pin the Tail on the Donkey (which Otto actually played Pin the Tail on Sparx instead, unknowingly), and they had every other possible thing a party would have. Except for a truly festive aura. Antauri could sense it. No one was really partying (except for Otto). Chiro was solemn, sitting in his chair, messing with his guitar. Half asleep, he played a random tune on the strings. The others continued to play and laugh, though aware of his spiritual turmoil, only trying to cheer him up, even the slightest bit. It worked, to an extent.

Chiro straightened up, holding the guitar in his hands tighter. The others looked at him, slowly stopping whatever it was they were doing at that moment. Chiro strummed the chords on the guitar, slowly, then began to speed up a bit, never opening his eyes. The tune was mesmerizing, and as he began to hum, it became even more hypnotizing. But it was no spell. It wasn't a silent incantation. It was Chiro's 'theme', a song he was humming when he had first met the team, long forgotten, it triggered the memory in the mind of each member of the Hyperforce, even Jinmay, who had never heard it—she felt as if she _knew_ the song itself. The others felt the same way. This was only the second time they had heard the music, but it stuck; it was a part of Chiro, as was it a small part of each of them.

The song grew louder over the hours, and Chiro showed no signs of stopping his song. The team didn't mind; they began to clean up the things from the party at about 11:34 p.m., according to the clock on the south wall, over the door. Chiro continued to play into the night, and, right at the clock struck midnight, the song ended abruptly.

Everyone looked over to the chair, where Chiro still sat. His face had grown pale, and his hand was tightly holding the neck of the guitar, preventing the strings from vibrating and continuing the music. He looked into the distance, at a random spot n the wall. All eyes, except for the boy's, turned to the spiritual leader of the team. The silver simian had his eyes wide open, looking to the same spot on the wall as Chiro was. Chiro finally spoke for the first time in a long time, again, only saying two words.

"It's here."

Antauri got serious. "Party's over, everyone. Now, we need to get to work. Listen to Chiro. The spirit of the Skeleton Prince is in the Super Robot; we need to get Chiro out of here!"

—

The apparition appeared before the doorway as the clock struck midnight. It approached the bed in the room, and hissed.

_"He is not here…"_ it spoke slowly, a hint of confusion in its voice that quickly faded. "He is aware of my presence. I should have suspected this much."

Then, voices came down the hallway. "Hurry, Chiro, c'mon!"

"Where are we going?" came a hesitant voice.

"To the Hidden Fortress, Chiro!" It was a female voice, the apparition could tell from its time 'with' the boy. It chuckled. They could not hide forever. It phased through the ceiling above it.

—

Antauri pulled Chiro's hand as the boy ran after him. The rest of the Hyperforce was on all sides of them, weapons ready, waiting. The asphalt of the road changed to a soft carpet of grass as the entered the city park. They were so close to the water tower that marked their Hidden Fortress… So close…

A loud, piercing screech slashed through the air. Everyone, except for Antauri and Chiro, looked up to see a ghastly grey ghost-like creature floating above them, barely standing out in the jet black night sky. No one stopped running. They began to speed up. Nova, Jinmay and Gibson attacked the apparition while Otto and Sparx remained to 'bodyguard' the two running.

The ghost did not falter. It sped forward and crashed into Jinmay, knocking her to the ground as she prepared to fire eye beams at it.

Nova jumped up in the air, her huge fists out to deal a massive hurt. The ghost just batted her out of the sky as if she were a bothersome fly.

Meanwhile, Antauri had put in the code to open the Hidden Fortress in the mouth of the small robot man standing under the water tower. The small platform materialized, and began to lower into the ground.

Chiro was shaking. "Calm down, Chiro," Antauri said, trying to calm him down (duh). "You'll be safe now. I will stay with you, and we will defeat this demon once and for all."

It didn't work. "No!" Chiro shouted shakily, his head vigorously shaking from side to side. He was scared. "Y-You can't. It…_he_…wants me. He'll either overshadow one of you to get close to me, or…or something worse I can't imagine." Now, he spoke in a small voice. "I wanna go home."

"You are home…" Sparx said, confused (remember, he and Otto and still guarding Antauri and Chiro).

"Do you mean Hendran?" Otto piped up.

Chiro didn't answer; his head shook lightly, though, meaning no.

They didn't comment.

They finally reached the room where Chiro was to wait for now. The screens were already on, showing the grey ghost being blasted by Gibson's energy attack. It flew through the air, but quickly recovered, hissing.

Antauri turned to Chiro. "I will stay here with you." He turned to Otto and Sparx. "You two will go help the others. If it gets bad, I must help and leave Chiro here." He turned back to the boy. "I hope it doesn't get bad."

Chiro turned to face the screens. For the first time in a while, life seemed to jump into his eyes as he saw the spirit get tossed around by Nova's attack (the same one she used on the Wraith in _Ghosts of Shuggazoom_). Chiro's mouth moved, but it was like his tongue was unable to form words.

The ghost then seemed to look right at him, through the screen. Antauri watched, alarmed, as the color drained out of Chiro's face. A chair popped up from the ground, just in time, and he fell into it, his heart pounding. Antauri turned to Sparx and Otto.

"Go. Now!"

They left at his command.

—

The streets were quiet, but the loud noises of the Hyperforce's attacks seemed to make up for it. The apparition seemed to be unhurt, though the Hyperforce was tiring. The ghost, then, decided to make its move. It flew for the small android that marked the entrance to the Hidden Fortress. It reached out for it, then…

…a claw sliced through its arm.

It screeched, an inhuman sound, and reeled back. Antauri stood there, positioned in front of the android, his claws posed to attack. Slowly, the rest of the Hyperforce surrounded it.

_"I expected your young leader to at least brave the world and face me,"_ it said quietly, but its voice dripped with malevolence. _"I suppose he it too afraid to deal with me again. But mark my words—I _will_ return, and soon, even _he_ will succumb to my power."_

"He will never!" Otto shouted.

_"You don't know anything, green one,"_ the ghost mocked. _"This is an ages-old war, and your precious 'Chosen One' is a main part of it. You are just pawns. AND you are only causing him more unnecessary pain."_ It paused for a moment, before crushing the small android with one powerful dark blast. It laughed.

It then evanesced into the air, its cruel laughing fading away with it. Sparks danced along the destroyed body of the android computer key.

Behind it, a platform rose from the ground, Chiro the only thing on it. He had his head down, his face obscured by his dark hair. He slowly began to walk forward, stopping before Antauri.

"It's gone, Chiro," the silver monkey assured him.

Chiro let out a soft sigh in relief, but it faded. "It'll come back. At midnight. Every full moon."

Chiro looked up. The moon was almost right above him, and it basked him in its glow. His skin seemed to take on a ghastly glow, but maybe that was just a trick of the eye…

Otto tugged at his hand. Chiro looked at the green monkey, who, despite the situation, had a smile on his face. He tried to cheer the boy up. "C'mon, Chiro, it's gone for now. Let's go home and go to bed."

Chiro nodded slowly. "O…kay…" he murmured slowly. He followed the team back to the Super Robot, each one still surrounding him in a circle, in case anything _else_ happened.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three: The Demon Pages**

The morning sun had risen long ago, and still no sign of Chiro. Antauri was worried. He hoped nothing…had happened at night while they were asleep.

He went to Chiro's room, the door sliding open. Chiro was still asleep, tossing and turning over the covers. Antauri approached the bed and shook Chiro lightly.

"Chiro? Wake up, it's almost noon."

Chiro mumbled something and opened his eyes. "Huh?" He looked around as he sat up. Antauri noticed his clothes were not his pajamas—he was in Hyper Mode.

"Chiro…"

"I was afraid of getting attacked in the middle of the night," Chiro explained dully. Antauri nodded, agreeing with and accepting that logic.

Chiro said nothing else as he sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed, standing up and walking out of the doorway.

Antauri went to the box under his bed. For some reason, he seemed to go to the journals when he felt unsure about Chiro. The looked though Chiro's but there was nothing different.

But, however, there _was_ something different about the _box_ itself.

Antauri had set the hard-covered journal back in when he noticed it. It made a different sound than it should—instead of a book hitting the bottom of a cardboard box, it sounded as if it had hit _tile_. The sterling monkey took out all the books, and saw the bottom of the box was…a much _darker_ shade of brown than the rest of the box. He hadn't ever noticed that before.

Antauri pressed his fingers to the bottom corner of the box, reaching through the cardboard, his eyes lighting up as the whole bottom of the box seemed to lift up…revealing pages…

—

"Mornin' Chiro!" Otto popped up in front of Chiro as he entered the main room.

Chiro took a step back, then smiled. "Morning, Otto. Sorry I slept in, I was just a bit tired."

"Don't worry," Gibson said. He was messing with the control consol that was under the huge screen, sparks flying up around him. "It was your birthday; you deserve to sleep in every once in a while."

Chiro nodded. He looked around. He only saw the boys. "Where's Nova and Jinmay?"

"Oh, they went for a walk through the city a while ago, then they called and said they were in a library," Sparx said. He sounded uncertain.

Chiro shrugged it off as he nodded again. He then, without another word, left the Super Robot.

—

"Did you find anything yet, Nova?"

Jinmay's voice drifted over to Nova through the vast extension of the library. Jinmay looked to the golden monkey, who was on the top of a ladder, looking through a book on the top shelf. They had spent almost the whole day there, and now the sun was starting to set and the moon was beginning to rise.

"No," Nova responded. "You?"

Jinmay shook her head. "I highly doubt we'll ever find anything relating to this…Skeleton Prince…person."

"He's not a person," Nova pointed out. "Well, he was, when he was inside Chiro; but now, he's just an evil demonic spirit."

"Way to cheer me up, Nova."

"Sorry." Nova flashed the robotic girl a smile.

A small man appeared behind Nova, who was still on the ladder. "What are you looking for, ma'am?"

Jinmay approached the man and said, "A book on the Skeleton Prince. We would…uh…" She wasn't sure how to tell him.

Nova nodded. "You can tell him."

"We're having a bit of trouble with the Skeleton Prince himself, and we've tried to get rid of him once."

"Twice," Nova reminded.

"Twice," Jinmay corrected herself. "We don't know how to get rid of him."

"Well, I am terribly sorry, but we only had one book on him, and it was stolen a month ago," the small man say. "I have never been able to find it nor another copy, for there is only one book with mentions of the Skeleton Prince in it."

"Okay, thank you," Nova said.

"I remember hearing of the Skeleton Prince," the man continued, almost to himself. "I thought he was a myth. It is very odd to find out the hero boy of Shuggazoom was the demon feared across the known universe."

Jinmay froze, then whirled around to face the man. "How did you know that?"

"I've read books, my dear." The man pulled up another ladder, taking out an elaborate chest from the very top shelf, one not visible from the floor. He reached around his neck and took out a small, rusty-looking key. Sticking it in the keyhole and turning it, the chest popped open as if set on a string. Inside were several blue books.

The man took the top one out. He opened it and then closed it, holding it out to Jinmay.

"I got these from a mysterious fellow many years ago," he informed her as she took the book. "I thought they were just empty journals, but most already had words in them. Then, words began to mysteriously appear in this one." He took the book back and flipped it over, pointing to the name on the back. "I believe 'Chiro' is the name of your leader. These are journals of all the previous Skeleton Princes."

"B-But Chiro has these!" Nova objected. "Except they're red!"

"I do not know how the man I got these from got them, but all I know is words appear at certain times, echoing the thoughts of the Skeleton Prince."

Jinmay eyed the man. "Who are you?"

The man shrugged modestly. "I am merely a lover of books."

He stepped back and spun around on one of his heels, walking to another section of the library with his hands clasped behind his back.

The front doors of the library suddenly burst open, and Antauri came in, looking around. He spotted Jinmay and Nova, who was now climbing down from the ladder, and approached them. He was holding something rather large in his hands.

"Antauri!" Jinmay exclaimed.

"I believe I have found what you are looking for," the silver monkey said, holding out whatever was in his hands. Jinmay and Nova looked at it.

'It' was a book. It had a dark brown, hard cover, with a small red gem in the center. The symbols on the top clearly said this:

_The Demon Pages._

Jinmay and Nova looked at each other, alarmed.

The Demon Pages are a guide to evil spirits and infamous villains.

This included the Skeleton Prince himself.

—

"Chiro was hiding this?" Gibson asked when Antauri showed him the book. "One more thing for him to keep a secret." He sighed.

"That's because he didn't know the book was in there in the first place," Antauri pointed out.

"The man at the library said someone stole the book a few months ago," Jinmay recalled. "It could have been Chiro."

"No, I sense it was someone else," Antauri whispered. "Someone who wants us to stop the Skeleton Prince forever."

"We all want to do that," Otto whined. "Who could want that more than us?"

"Someone who has fought him for all his life?" Nova suggested.

—

Meanwhile, somewhere else in Shuggazoom, faded red almond-shaped eyes opened blearily, looking at the small sliver in the sky that was the moon. Its body stood up, but the shadows still encased it. The eyes were the only thing visible. They looked tired, but soon became full of life. A growl emanated from its form.

"Soon, on the eve of the full moon…" it whispered, its voice actually very soft and gentle. "All will come into place. I must find the one of sterling silver…" There was a very long pause. "And the young one…" There was yet another pause as the creature thought. "You were destined to be the Chosen One of the Power Primate, not the Skeleton Prince. It's time to free you."

The form then jumped off the roof and into the streets below.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four: Seven Days**

Antauri sat in his lotus position in the air, flipping through the book. There was the Skeleton King on one page, but the Skeleton Prince wasn't seen yet. There was the Dark One Worm, the number one player on Galactic Smash (remember him?), but most of the creatures in the book were unknown to Antauri. Most of the things were either locked away or destroyed, but, also, some were still on the loose.

Then, came the page he was looking for.

There was a beautifully drawn picture of the Skeleton Prince spirit that had attacked the other night, and in the background was a full moon of some other planet. If you can call a demon 'beautiful'.

The script said: _The Skeleton Prince is a demon spirit born at the beginning of time. No one knows what its true intentions for the universe are, but it resides in a host's body, chosen for it through a reincarnation process it created. It then, through the host, is able to carry out its whim in the mortal world, also carrying over its evil to the realm of spirits._

_The host of the spirit is chosen at a young age, his parents forced to give the child up to the Skeleton Prince's right-hand slaves—the Risen._

Antauri started in recognition. Those were the people after Chiro that one time. Well, they were gone now, so there was no problem.

_Of course, the host also has control, able to use the power of the demon spirit at a will. But, of course, the power comes at a price, and suicide was the cause of the deaths of all the previous Skeleton Princes. Except one._

_The most recent one vanished a few years ago. No one knows where he went to, but some believe he is on the nearest planet to Hendran, the home planet of the Prince—Shuggazoom._

Antauri flipped the page.

_There is only one person in the universe who has managed to defeat the Skeleton Prince. He had the power and the knowledge to take him down before he could find a way to destroy the universe. No one ever knew his name, and he vanished at the birth of the most recent Skeleton Prince child._

_He is believed to be dead._

The book had much more information to read, but now was not the time. Though it was a fairly large book, it had only about fifty articles in it, written by people who had either encountered some of these malevolent spirits themselves or have heard stories about them.

Antauri closed the book, passing it to Nova, who was waiting to read it. He sat there, lost in thought.

—

"That book is rubbish," a voice whispered. "Sure, most of the facts are true, but it is out of date. The young boy possessed by the Skeleton Prince has been freed, something deemed impossible."

Red eyes opened once again, still hiding in the shadows, away from the rising sun. "I believe it is now time to pay a visit to an old friend."

It hopped off the roof once again, headed for the Super Robot.

—

It had been a few hours ago that Antauri thought he knew everything about the Skeleton Prince.

A surge of pain ran through his body. No one was around to see him fall on the ground, writhing in pain. He looked up with weary eyes to see…something…floating in front of him.

_"I see pain comes to your pathetic mind when I am around,"_ the apparition of the Skeleton Prince hissed. _"But, I do not care either way. I have a deal to make."_

"I'll never trust you!" Antauri shouted, baring his teeth.

_"Like I said, I do not care. Let me tell you this."_ It floated down to Antauri's level, putting a ghostly hand on his head and whispering in his ear. _"The boy is of no use to you. The longer he stays with you, the more pain it causes him. Surrender him to me, and he will not suffer any more."_

"Never!" the silver monkey spat. He stood up, shaking. "Causing me pain will only force it back at you. Chiro will never surrender."

There was a raspy chuckle as the ghost floated backwards. _"Hm… We shall see, in time."_ It then whispered to him again. _"You have set his fate. You have condemned him to the void."_

A vision of Chiro, lying dead on the ground, the ghost floating in front of his body, filled Antauri's mind. He shut his eyes to try to block the images. He shook his head.

The Skeleton Prince then vanished. The pain left immediately.

Chiro walked in, looked up from watching his feet sliding back and forth, and saw Antauri on the ground. He ran over knelt down next to him.

"Antauri, are you okay?" he asked. He offered a hand, and Antauri took it. Chiro pulled him to his feet.

"Yes, I am fine, Chiro," Antauri assured him. He thought for a minute. "Chiro?"

"Yeah?"

Antauri shook his head. "Never mind."

Chiro nodded slowly as he turned around and walked off. "Seven days, Antauri," he said quietly, but loud enough for Antauri to hear him. "I'm ready." The door then closed behind him.

_That was all too convenient,_ Antauri thought. _He comes in when I'm on the ground, then leaves. Did he know?_

Antauri came to the conclusion that Chiro knows everything that happens in the Super Robot. He knew the Skeleton Prince was there, what it said to him, and probably much more.

—

"Seven days," the red-eyed creature said, at the same exact time as Chiro. "Then, all will become clear."

The form held out a hand, and the sunlight touched it slowly, revealing a metal hand. A small picture appeared above the hand, like a hologram. It sparkled, revealing Chiro in his room, flipping through the book known as the Journal of the Skeleton Prince. The words shone red, and Chiro slowly closed the book.

The figure nodded. "He is learning." A smile appeared. "Your mother would be proud."

It looked off the building it was perched on, over to a water tower. Sun suddenly shone into its eyes, and it squinted. It realized the sun was reflecting of the metal of a silver robotic monkey. The figure smiled again.

"We need to talk."

—

Antauri was out in the city. He approached the water tower that marked the Hidden Fortress, and sighed. The little android was still crushed. They couldn't get in. They now had to either bore a tunnel into the ground or find a new hiding spot.

Something suddenly dropped down in front of him, startling him. He took out his ghost claws, ready to fight, but the figure merely chuckled, hidden in the shadows of the water tower.

"I do not wish to fight, Antauri," the figure said. "You wish to defeat the Skeleton Prince. I know a way."

Antauri stood straight up, his hands returning to normal. "Who are you?"

"You've read of me," the figure said. "I am the only person who can stand up to the Skeleton Prince and kill him."

Antauri blinked as the figure stepped out of the shadows. It was revealed…to be a robot monkey. Its fur was a very light grey, and with faded red eyes, giving it a ghastly appearance. It smirked.

"You are the person the Demon Pages mentioned," Antauri realized. "But it said you were dead."

"No, but close," the monkey laughed dryly. "I've been alive for a long time, keeping an eye on that demon you know as the Skeleton Prince. I know how to save Chiro."

"May I ask, what is your name?"

The monkey smiled. "My name is Specter. Sole guardian of the host of the Skeleton Prince."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five: The Plan**

"So, what do you mean by 'sole guardian' of Chiro?" Sparx asked, crossing his arms and giving a hard stare at the grayish monkey, who returned it, but halfheartedly.

Antauri had brought Specter to the Super Robot (luckily Chiro was out; Antauri didn't feel comfortable with him seeing the ghost-like monkey). The others were awed by him; he knew so much about many things, including Chiro and the Skeleton Prince. He knew all of Chiro's secrets, as well as the Skeleton Prince's.

"Exactly what I said," Specter pointed out, a smile on his face. "I was built by the Alchemist to protect him. I was _chosen_. I also know much about the demon which poses you this great threat. I also know Chiro more than you."

"How is that?" Gibson asked, becoming frustrated by the mysterious air around this stranger.

"I guarded him since he was born."

There was another shocker. Specter continued. "You can say that I was his childhood bodyguard—and one of his only friends."

The team looked at him, confusion in their eyes. "Please, tell us," Jinmay urged.

"There is nothing to tell," Specter said slowly.

"No," Jinmay corrected, shaking her head. "Tell us about Chiro."

Specter smiled wearily, his eyes reflecting ages of memories he probably didn't want to relive. "Okay. I will."

The team sat down in their respective chairs in the main room as Specter began his tale.

"Chiro was like any young boy: small, hyperactive, innocent. But he didn't realize that, soon, he was to be the puppet of an inter-dimensional demon. It was sad. But his youthful innocence made it _horrible_.

"But as the years went by, I noticed Chiro was different from the others. Of course, they were all named Chiro, but he actually acted like a hero. Small acts of kindness made him stand out. So, the Possession Ritual was to take place much earlier than usual. He was only twelve, and the Possession Ritual is supposed take place when he was fourteen.

"I was given one last chance to talk to him, so I informed him of everything that was going to happen. More like what _would_ happen.

"But, sadly, the Possession Ritual went on as planned, and the Skeleton Prince lived on inside of him. After that, he came back to me asking, 'Specter, what should I do?'"

The others waited for him to continue after he stopped.

"I told him to run away."

"I thought Chiro said it was his idea?" Nova asked.

"It was, but I actually gave him the means to escape. His father had left to Shuggazoom some years ago, so he went there. His mother was devastated about Chiro's running away, so she vanished along with him. I was rounded on by the army of Hendran, but I managed to escape with barely my life. I went to Shuggazoom to keep an eye on Chiro. I have been for three years."

"You've been spying on him," Otto translated blatantly.

"No, not spying. Spying would be me watching him trying to get secrets I can use against him. I would never do that. He's like a son to me."

"And to me as well," Antauri suddenly said. The others looked at him. He smiled. "There's no shame in admitting it." He crossed his arms.

"I know of someone who may have the power to defeat the Skeleton Prince; at least protect Chiro until _we_ do," Specter concluded.

"Who?" everyone (except Antauri) asked at the same time.

Specter grinned. "His mother."

There, again, was another shocker—one to end the century.

"His mother?" Gibson asked, his voice shrill. "Why had he never told us?"

"He never knew," Specter answered. "Now, please, I would appreciate it if you didn't yell and calmed down a bit."

Gibson calmed down, and Otto asked, "But what can his mom do for us?"

"During the Possession Ritual, his mother was forced to…'sell' her son, if you will," Specter explained. "She did it against her own will, but she has all the powers of the Skeleton Prince himself, as did Chiro. Her permission was not absolute."

"So, what can she _do_?" Nova repeated, still not understanding.

"The Skeleton Prince has no power over Chiro's mother," Specter said. "She will be able to relinquish the demon's hold on your friend."

Specter suddenly perked up. "I sense Chiro. Where is he?"

Specter then stood up and his eyes began to glow. He then vanished into thin air.

The others looked confused, but a whooshing sound diverted their eyes from where the ghost monkey used to be.

Chiro came down from his tube, looking around at the assembled monkeys plus Jinmay. "Did I miss something?" he asked.

Otto was about to speak, but Sparx covered his mouth. "Nope! Nothing! You missed nothing."

Chiro eyed them all as he walked into the main room. He closed his eyes for a moment, then opened him. The air in front of him rippled, and Specter became visible again, his eyes hiding all emotion. Chiro blinked.

Everyone held their breath. Would Chiro be mad at them for some unknown reason? They waited…

But not for long. Chiro tackled the grayish monkey and hugged him. "Specter!" he exclaimed. "I missed you!"

Everyone else's eyes were wide. They never expected this reaction from Chiro, who, hours ago, had been sulking in his room. Specter hugged Chiro back and said, "And I missed you."

Chiro finally let go and backed away, a _huge_ smile on his face. "Where have you been? I thought you'd come to see me…" His voice dropped.

Specter stepped forward. "I did. I've been her for three years, watching you and the Hyperforce. I didn't want to reveal myself, because…"

Chiro nodded, edging him to continue.

"I was afraid."

"Afraid?" Chiro repeated. "Of me?"

"In a sense. Of what you would think of me."

Chiro cocked his head.

"I thought that you'd be mad at me for everything that happened; I was worried you would blame me for it."

Chiro shook his head, tears running down his face. "I would never hate you. Why would you think that?"

Instead of answering, Specter murmured, "I'm sorry."

Chiro smiled before turning to the Hyperforce. "So, I ask again…" He gave a sly smile. "What did I miss?"

—

They informed Chiro of their plan, but Chiro just shook his head. "I don't know where mom is," he admitted. "She vanished after I came here."

"I'll find her," Specter announced. "I have many sources in the universe. I _will_ find your mother."

"I'm going with you," Antauri announced. "We can take the Brain Scrambler." (Is that right?)

"Shouldn't I go with you too?" Chiro asked.

"No, you have to stay here," Specter told him. "The Skeleton Prince will follow us. We cannot protect you then. Everyone else," he looked over Chiro's should and gazed at the Hyperforce, who were all crowded behind Chiro, "is going to stay here and protect you. Remember, the spirit can possess them as well, and you need to be here so they know when that happens."

Chiro nodded.

So Antauri and Specter said their goodbyes to the team, planning on leaving immediately. This was no cruise around town—they were going to the very edges of the galaxy, maybe beyond.

Antauri shot up his black tube to the Brain Scrambler ship, but Specter waited. He looked back at Chiro, who was sitting in his chair, a sad look on his face, his knees curled up to his chest and his arms wrapped around them. The ghost monkey then walked over to him.

Chiro looked up.

"I'll be back," Specter reminded him. "After that, I don't know what I'll do. Maybe I'll join a team of superheroes that are just like me." At that last part, he winked at Chiro, who had a smile growing on his face. He then walked to the black tube, nodded in Chiro's direction, and shot up into Antauri's ship.

Chiro watched him go.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six: Stand My Ground**

It had been three days since Specter and Antauri left, and nothing happened. Chiro was waiting in his chair, always glancing at the tube, hoping they would come back.

Nova sighed and approached him. "They'll come back," she assured him. "They'll find her."

"It's not that," Chiro corrected her, shaking his head. "I thought Specter was dead. I don't want either of them dying to protect me."

"They're not going to, Chiro," Nova assured him. "They're Antauri and Specter. You say you knew Specter all your life, so where's your faith in him?"

Chiro didn't answer, instead looking at his feet.

Then, he finally answered. "I'm sorry. You're right…"

"You're darn right she is!" Otto exclaimed, popping up behind Nova. "She's smart."

"Thank you, Otto," Nova said happily. She turned back to Chiro and noticed he was now in a meditative position, his eyes closed. "Chiro? What's wrong?"

Suddenly, the screen in the main room flashed on to reveal Specter's face. "He is concentrating. Trying to determine the location of the Skeleton Prince spirit. Do not disturb him; let him be."

"Where are you guys?" Otto asked.

Antauri appeared on the screen. "We are very close to a possible home planet for Chiro's mother," he answered. "We checked on Hendran on the first day, but nothing was there. I'm sorry, Chiro."

Chiro nodded without opening his eyes, and said, "If there's one thing I know about my mom, is that she's about as cunning as me. If I was her, I would first go to the most unlikely place, then once I learn you're looking for me, hide in the most _likely_ place."

"Wow," Sparx complemented. "You're good."

Antauri nodded and the screen went blank.

—

The next four days went by in a flash. Chiro had returned to his former self, sort of—playing video games with Sparx (and losing to Sparx) and just acting like a normal kid. Well, a normal kid living with cybernetic monkeys and a robot girl and being hunted by a demon spirit, but you get the idea.

Jinmay asked Chiro, "What are we going to do tonight about the Skeleton Prince?"

The others all looked at them. Chiro just winked and told them, "Play along."

—

Later that night, at about 11:30, Nova went into Chiro's room. He wasn't there.

"Chiro?" She stepped into the room. The light was on, but dimmed, casting the room into a low glow. She didn't see anyone there.

Suddenly, she was pinned against the wall, unable to move. A shrill voice echoed into her ear.

_"Where _is_ he?"_

—

"But this is Koraladoll," Antauri pointed out (I think that's how you spell it… I'm not sure). He looked at the screen, getting a nice view of the beautiful planet below.

"Yes," Specter said, unconcerned. "And your point is…?"

"Why did you send us here?"

"Well, the Alchemist had the Power Primate, which he used to give the power that you and your teammates possess. This is the epicenter of the Power Primate."

"You think she may be here? Is she human?"

"Of course she's human," Specter said, as if it was obvious.

"Just so I know what we're looking for."

The ship was then coaxed to a landing on the ground, near a temple-like structure.

—

"I-I don't know!" Nova sputtered, losing her breath. "I came to talk to him and he was gone!"

The figure threw her to the ground. _"You are a waste of my time, simian. Tell me where he is and your death will be swift."_

"Nova!" Suddenly, red electricity flashed along the ghost's length, and it gasped, flying backwards into Chiro's room.

Sparx helped her up. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Nova answered, rubbing her neck. "We have to go find Chiro."

"Huh?" Otto and the others came up behind them.

"Chiro's gone!" Nova repeated.

Just then, the Skeleton Prince returned to the hallway. Everyone got their weapons ready.

_"You really don't know where the human boy is,"_ it realized. _"Very well. When I find him…your lives will be the next thing to go."_

—

"Hello?" Specter's voice drifted down the empty hallway. "Is anyone here?"

Antauri looked around. The place was starting to fall apart. Cracks were running along the once-regal walls, and the ceiling had holes every now and then. Specter suddenly turned to him.

"What happened here?"

Antauri shook his head, refusing to answer. "Something bad."

"I can see that," Specter murmured, looking at the walls. "Where you here?"

Antauri closed his eyes. "In another life."

One of the Veran Mystics appeared from around a corner. He stood there, looking at the two robotic monkeys who had entered the temple. He then approached Antauri with his head down.

"Brother Antauri," he said, his voice low. "You have returned. We cast our sincerest apologies for the past wrongs Master Xan had wrought upon you."

Antauri smiled and bowed. "You do not have to apologize. It was the Dark Ones."

"Who is this?" the Veran Mystic asked, gesturing at Specter. Specter stepped forward and bowed.

"I am Specter of the Seventh Order," he said (the Seventh Order is the highest, meaning you have mastered the Power Primate, at least in this story). "I am the guardian of the Chosen One, Master Chiro, also the previous host of the Skeleton Prince spirit."

"The Skeleton Prince?" the Mystic repeated. His visible face grew hardened. "Is he subdued?"

"That's what we're trying to do," Antauri pointed out. "We're looking for Chiro's mother."

The Mystic gave him a blank look.

Specter spoke up. "We're looking for Kylia."

—

Blue eyes opened, hidden in the shadow of an alley. He sensed the Monkey Team was closing in on him, but he couldn't risk losing concentration. If he did, his aura could be sensed by the demon chasing him. He was blocking his life essence from being sensed.

Chiro watched slowly as the Hyperforce walked past the alleyway, with Gibson in the lead, all looking at the little machine in his hands.

Uh-oh. He had forgotten about his Hyperforce communicator.

The team did a double-take and entered the alleyway. Chiro took the small device off his shirt and threw it to the very back of the alley. The team didn't see him as they walked past, as he was hiding in the shadows. They stopped before the little device, puzzled.

"Oh no!" Otto exclaimed. "What if that ghosty thing got him first?"

"I don't think it would get rid of his Hyperforce communicator," Gibson told them. He looked to the sky, where the full moon hung.

Chiro stopped breathing as the team passed by him. He had to keep still, lest the team and the Skeleton Prince could be able to sense him there. Lie low and stay down until the sun rose. That was his plan.

It didn't work.

"Hey, I found him!"

Otto's voice reached his ears as the moonlight began to light up the alleyway, revealing his hiding place. Otto stood in front of him, looking proud of himself. The others raced up behind him.

"Chiro!" Jinmay exclaimed. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Chiro said, a little irritable. "You just gave away my hiding spot, though."

The team gulped. "But that thing is on the other side of the city," Nova told him.

"No, I mean, now it can sense where I am!" Chiro yelled, but in a harsh whisper. "I was trying to block it!"

True to his words, the ghost floated above them. It looked down, an eerie smile on its face, and dive-bombed them.

—

"Kylia?" Antauri echoed. "Is that her name?"

"Yes," Specter said.

"I am sorry to say that Kylia is no longer here. She left for another world, and she never told us which one."

"Thank you," Specter told him, both of them bowing to the Mystic. "We'll try one of her favorite planets. She may be there."

"And where is that?" Antauri wanted to know.

Specter gave a knowing grin. "Crysignia."

—

Gibson, despite being one of the smartest members of the team, did something very foolish.

As the spirit dove-bombed them, he held out his drills in an attempt to suck the spirit in and trap it inside his own body. The ghost was sucked inside his drills, but from there, it spread throughout his whole body, taking control.

Gibson stood up and looked at the others, who were looking fearfully at him. Then, Chiro spoke up.

"He's possessed! Run!"

They ran.

Gibson was laughing as he shot energy beams at the group as they ran into the streets. They dove behind cars, mailboxes, and anything else they could find as temporary cover. Blue beams of lightning blasted against the ground, creating holes in the road and dents in the vehicles. Gibson's insane laughter was the only thing heard above the cacophony. The noises stopped. The team, hidden behind a car, waited.

_"Come on out, _Chosen One_,"_ the Skeleton Prince sneered, looking around through Gibson's eyes. His drills were held out and ready. _"I see you're too afraid to fight me. It's a pity though. You showed great promise as my host."_

A spooky smile crossed Gibson's face. Then, his body seemed to hover in the air as a black cloud lifted off of it. It still hovered in the air, suspended by the ghost. The ghost floated around the car, holding out its other hand at…Jinmay. A blinding red light began to build up, ready to blast the robot girl to smithereens.

"WAIT!"

It stopped. Chiro was now behind it. It slowly turned around to face him. They both stared at each other for a long moment.

Chiro held out his hand.

"Don't hurt them," Chiro whispered. "Leave them alone, and you can have me."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven: Aura**

"Crysignia?" Antauri repeated. "Isn't that the world—"

"With the Demons' Stone?" Specter finished. "Yes."

"If I may ask, why would she be there?"

"She always loved the crystal landscape and huge oceans there," Specter informed him. "She brought young Chiro there many times, but I don't think he remembers the visits."

Specter slowly swiveled his head to face Antauri, an odd look on his face.

Antauri cocked his head. "What…?"

"I went there a few weeks ago," Specter said quietly. "The Demons' Stone is gone."

"We returned it promptly," Antauri said as he crossed his arms and nodded (they returned it after _His Legacy_).

"Really? Good. Just wanting to know what happened. It's safe to assume the Black-Night Blade and returned to Anur Phaetos and the Shadow Skull was returned to Amere?"

Antauri blinked. He pulled a lever and the ship rose slowly off the ground. "How did you know about that?"

Specter smiled. "Shuggazoom is Chiro's world, and thus, it is mine. We see everything that happens there, and on Hendran."

—

_"You finally accept your destiny,"_ the Skeleton Prince said.

It waved its arm, throwing Gibson's limp body to the side. Otto rushed out and caught him before he could hit the ground. They all watched Chiro.

The Skeleton Prince slowly reached out to grab the extended boy's hand. No one noticed the sly look on Chiro's face.

As the shadow hand grabbed his own, there was a huge burst of green energy. Everyone shielded their eyes as the light faded.

The ghost was reeling back, screeching. _"You purified your aura,"_ it whispered.

"What does that mean?" Nova asked.

"I think it means nothing negative can touch him," Otto answered, scratching his head.

"You…are correct…" came Gibson's weak voice. "For now…his power is at its zenith… Then…his power will neutralize…and he will be defenseless…for at least a week…"

"Who?" Nova asked, placing a hand on Gibson's forehead.

"…Chiro…" Gibson closed his eyes and said no more.

—

Both Antauri and Specter doubled over, landing in the shallow water of Crysignia. They had reached it some time ago, and suddenly, they couldn't move. They both came to one conclusion—one neither of them liked.

"Something is happening on Shuggazoom," Specter murmured, grimacing.

Antauri slowly nodded. "We must hurry."

They both stood up carefully, then ran in a select direction.

—

_"You little brat!"_ the Skeleton Prince shouted. _"You are only causing yourself more pain!"_

"You keep saying that!" Chiro retorted.

Suspended by the Power Primate, it enabled Chiro to fly, and thus, get away from the ghost trying to attack him. They both shot attacks at each other, but they seemed to be matched in power.

_"You can't keep this up,"_ the Skeleton Prince hissed. _"The more you use this power, the more you drain your own life force!"_

"Uh-oh," Otto muttered.

"I don't care!" Chiro yelled, his voice echoing. "All you've done all my life is torment me! Well, I'm done with it. It ends _tonight_!"

_"I was just thinking the same thing."_

They fought. Ramming each other, shooting bursts of energy, but nothing was enough. The team wanted to help Chiro, but he just told them to stay back.

The fight raged on as the sun slowly began to appear over the east horizon, and the moon began to fall.

Then, Chiro stopped moving, still hovering in the air. The Skeleton Prince laughed.

_"Raw might will only result in your defeat,"_ it said. _"Combined with the fact that you _belong_ to me, we both know what will come to pass."_

A glint in its eyes put a shudder through Nova. She wondered what was going to happen next.

She didn't have to wait long.

—

Antauri put a hand to his head. Something was still troubling him. They had went into the small cavern where the Demons' Stone was, only to find nothing there. The whole planet was deserted.

Even the stone itself was gone.

"What is the meaning of this?" Specter demanded.

Antauri didn't answer.

Specter frowned. "I thought you said you returned it?"

Antauri shook his head. "We did. Someone else must've taken it."

"Who else can even touch it?"

"Come again?"

"The evil spirits trapped inside use good souls like a sponge; it frees them from their imprisonment."

"So the only reason Chiro could touch it last time was because of the Skeleton Prince," Antauri realized. "And Velina… Well, she's just evil."

"I think we're looking in the wrong place," Specter suddenly said in a hushed tone.

Antauri glanced at him questioningly.

"Instead of the places that meant something to Kylia, we should try the place that meant something to her son—Chiro!"

"But Shuggazoom is the only world that means something to him," Antauri said.

"Not the only one."

"Come again?"

"The planet he was born on, and he went there every year on his birthday," Specter said, almost to himself. "It was the only time he was allowed to."

"I thought he was born on Hendran?" Antauri inquired.

"No. He was born on a small world, but a paradise all the same."

"What's the name of the planet?"

Specter smiled. "Suragara."

Suddenly, Antauri felt something. Something dark. He activated his com links, ready to call the others…

—

Chiro was tired. His power was dying down. He no longer had the strength to keep himself this high in the air, let alone move. That was a moron's choice, the power he decided to use. But, for once, he had no other plan at that exact moment.

He began to fall. Then, the Skeleton Prince made its move.

It dove down at him as he fell, phasing through his body. Chiro let out a loud scream as a red light filled up the sky. An evil laughed echoed through the air until he hit the ground. He didn't move.

—

"Nova!" Antauri called through his com links.

Nova didn't answer right away.

_"Y-Yeah?"_ she said uncertainly.

"What's happening back there?" Specter shouted. "What's wrong?"

_"I…I'm scared,"_ was the soft reply. But it was Jinmay's voice, not Nova's.

"What's going on?" Specter demanded.

_"It's…It's Chiro…"_ Nova's voice cracked.

"What happened to him?" Antauri said, almost on the verge of yelling. He suddenly heard a loud crashing sound. _What's wrong…?_

—

Jinmay was helping Chiro to sit up. His eyes were closed tightly, as if he were in pain. And he was.

_"What is going on?"_ came Antauri's disgruntled voice.

He finally opened his eyes and looked at his team, fear reflecting in them. Everyone's eyes widened and they gasped.

_"WHAT HAPPENED?"_

Antauri's query went unnoticed. No one was really listening to him; they were all looking at Chiro, who, in turn, was looking at them, tears in his eyes.

_His eyes were red._

—

"Nova!" Antauri shouted. "What's happening?" He was getting mad. He gazed at Specter…and blinked.

Specter stood there, his eyes staring blankly into space. Chiro's voice echoed through his head, and the ghost-like monkey spoke in Chiro's voice.

"I'm…sorry…"


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight: Nightmare**

Antauri and Specter quickly got into the Brain Scrambler, but Specter took the controls. He and Antauri began to fight over the controls.

"We need to go back to Shuggazoom!" Specter yelled. "We need to help them!"

"We can't help anyone unless we find Kylia!" Antauri said, at the top of his lungs.

"The Alchemist trusted me to guard his son!" Specter retorted, accidentally kicking Antauri in the face.

"And he trusted us with the universe!" Antauri said back, pressing the palm of his hand to Specter's face, trying to push him away from the controls.

"You think the universe is more important than Chiro?"

Antauri froze at that. Then, he shook his head.

"That's why we need to find Kylia. The team is with him, and they'll protect him and help him. But _we_ can't do anything but get to…"

"Suragara?" Specter asked.

"Yes, and find Kylia."

—

Chiro was now asleep, and no one dared to try and wake him up.

"I believe he is in some kind of stasis," Gibson informed the others, stepping out of Chiro's room, where he had been running tests to see what was going on. "I do not know when he will wake up, and if he ever does, I cannot guarantee he will ever be the same."

"But he had this happen once before," Nova said softly. "He should—"

"Not like this." Gibson shook his head. "No one can take a spirit forcefully going into their bodies that fast, probably not even the Skeleton King himself. I couldn't when it…" he gulped, "…possessed me."

"But you're awake now," Sparx said. "Why not Chiro?"

"Because that ghost is still inside him," Otto said quietly.

"We have to get it out!" Jinmay shouted. The entire team—minus Gibson—moved to open the door.

"Stop!" Gibson's voice reached them. They froze. "No one moves—no one does anything—until Antauri and Specter return. Both of them will have the power to set this right. I will continue my research to see if I can uncover any possible way to help Chiro."

Everyone just nodded wearily, splitting up and scattering to different locations about the Robot.

—

Jinmay was out on the shoulder of the Super Robot, staring out at the slowly dimming stars. The rising sun slightly illuminated her face, making it glow.

"Jinmay?" Otto's small voice reached her. She turned around to see the little green monkey standing behind her, trying to smile.

"Did Gibson find anything yet?" Jinmay asked, probably a little too hopefully.

"No," Otto said, shaking his head. "Nothing yet. He's still reading that book and trying to find web pages, although the second option sounds unlikely."

"Wow. You sound like Gibson."

"He rubs off on you when you help him almost all day. But it hasn't been a day, just a few hours. How are you doin'?"

Jinmay closed her eyes. "I don't really know. Chiro never told me about this until you all returned to Shuggazoom. And he didn't even tell me. You guys did. I never thought this would happen to him… He never kept secrets from me."

"Or us…" Otto agreed. "But now, we just need to wait and see what happens."

Jinmay nodded. There was a lot all of them had to think about at the moment…

Just then, she froze, unmoving. Her eyes seemed glazed over and she sat staring into space.

"Jinmay?" Otto asked, concerned. "Are you okay?"

She didn't answer.

Otto ran off, calling, "Gibson!"

—

_Jinmay opened her eyes, seeing nothing but grey. Then, she could make out hallways; doors and openings. An eerie silence consumed the place, and it was cold. Cold…and lifeless._

_Most of the doors were locked, so she decided to follow the unlocked ones. Behind one of the doors, she found a figure picking at the lock on another door frantically. It had a small, thin object in its hands, and was trying to unlock the door._

_"Hello?" Jinmay asked, her voice echoing through the room._

_The figure yelped and spun around._

_It was Chiro._

_"Chiro?" Jinmay asked, taking a step forward._

_"Jinmay?" Chiro whispered incredulously. He then frowned. "You're not real. Go away, and I won't have to destroy you."_

_"Chiro, wait!" Jinmay pleaded as his hands began to glow with green energy. "I'm real! I'm the real Jinmay!"_

_"How can I know you're not lying?" Chiro demanded, the green light around his hands increasing to cover his whole body._

_"I know you'll believe me," Jinmay said with full determination. "Please, Chiro, come back…"_

_A tear formed in her eyes, and that stopped Chiro. The energy faded and he took a step forward, but no further._

_"You really are real. An illusion would not be able to cry…"_

_"Where are we?"_

—

The ship flew steadily through space, rocking ever so slightly every few seconds. Specter was sitting down behind Antauri's controls, his legs and arms crossed, his eyes closed.

"I sense something invading Chiro's mind," he muttered. "Something bad, and something good."

"He will pull through," Antauri said. "If I know Chiro, the Power Primate will stay with him and prevent this from going any further. We need to trust him."

"I do." The grey monkey then stood up and pointed, jumping up and down excitedly.

"I'm guessing this is Suragara?" Antauri questioned, slightly smiling at Specter's behavior.

"Yes, it is," Specter said excitedly.

The planet was beautiful, even from space. It looked like a pale green color, which was obviously a lot of forest, and some ocean. There were no polar ice caps, like some planets Antauri had seen, only forest. There was one big patch of grey on the whole thing, even visible from space, which was obviously a city.

"Welcome to Suragara," Specter announced.

The ship angled downwards, entering the planets atmosphere.

—

_"Where are we?" Chiro let out a small laugh. "We are on the plane of life and death. Consciousness and unconsciousness. A place where I am tormented, every moment of my time here, my worst fears used against me. And this time, the Skeleton Prince will not hesitate to take control, like he did last time."_

_"I—I don't understand," Jinmay whimpered._

_Chiro smiled, and let out an exasperated laugh. He took a step backwards. "What's not to understand? I'm _trapped,_ inside a living nightmare._


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine: Final Destination**

"So this is where he was born?" Antauri asked.

Specter nodded. "Yup. This has to be the place where Kylia would stay. I know of no other worlds she could be on."

The ship was coaxed to what they hoped would be their final landing on a foreign planet. Antauri closed his eyes, floating in the air in a lotus position, his mind reaching out, hoping to reach Chiro.

He was met with something else.

Two red eyes opened up in the blackness, shooting up to hover in front of him.

It was Chiro, but he was different.

He was in Hyper Mode. His eyes were blood red, flaming with the desire to kill. His hair was snow-white with a red streak in it, and his clothes had inverted their color scheme. Where it had been white (even on his face mask) it was now black, and where it had been black, it was now white (pretty much only the button on his shirt). And, where it was orange, the same red as Chiro's eyes had taken its place.

He glared at Antauri. His eyes flashed, and soon, Antauri was back in his own mind, standing next to Specter, who was looking at him, concerned.

"What happened?" he asked.

"Chiro…" Antauri said. He tried to explain (yes, they both know he's possessed by the Skeleton Prince once again). "He's losing."

Specter's eyes flashed. "Then hurry! Follow me!"

—

Jinmay opened her eyes to see Otto's face. There was a frown on his face, but it quickly changed into a huge grin that made her smile.

"Jinmay's awake!" Otto announced.

Jinmay sat up; she was on one of those tables on the sickbay. Gibson turned to look at her.

"Good," he said. "What happened, Jinmay? Otto said you suddenly stopped moving and fell to the floor. Is everything alright?"

"I'm fine…" Jinmay assured him. "But Chiro…" Her voice trailed off.

"Did he try to contact you with his mind?" Gibson asked.

"More like I went to his mind," Jinmay corrected.

"And?"

Jinmay swallowed. "He said he's trapped…he's trapped inside a nightmare…"

Gibson's eyes widened, but he remained silent as he thought. "That would explain things. The Skeleton Prince creating a nightmare to keep Chiro's mind occupied while he tries to gain control."

"He said his worst fears were being used against him," Jinmay remarked. "There was this hallway—it was all grey and most of the doors had locks. When I found him he was trying to unlock one of the doors. He said I was an illusion, but then he realized I was real."

"Scary," Otto whined.

Jinmay looked at him.

"Well, what's worse: Chiro being possessed by some unstoppable demon and the only ones who can do anything are probably light-years away…or Sparx's cooking?"

"Hey!" Sparx came into the room. "I heard that!"

"Come to think of it, I think it's a tie," Otto said, grinning.

Sparx chased him out of the room.

—

"This is where they always visited," Specter whispered. "One of the most beautiful spots in the galaxy."

Antauri stared at the sight in front of him. True to Specter's words, it did look like the most beautiful place in the galaxy—no, the _universe_.

In front of him was a waterfall.

It was a tall waterfall, fed by a powerful river high above their heads. The water soared down a high cliff before crashing majestically into the pond below. The sunlight on the water formed a rainbow that flew across the pond. Colorful fish swam in the waters near the shore, and were not at all deterred when Antauri and Specter stuck their feet in the cool water.

"This is RainbowFalls," Specter said quietly, almost as not to disturb the peace. "Although, the name does not do this place justice."

He stood up and shouted, "Kylia!"

The yell echoed across the pond, even though it shouldn't have. The waterfall continued to roar, and fish continued to swim, and nothing had changed.

"I have a question, Specter," Antauri said. "Does Kylia have magical powers?"

"Yes, she has a bit of the Power Primate, but she also has another power I have not yet recognized," Specter answered. "She also has a bit of the dark power because of the Skeleton Prince and its hold over Chiro all those years."

"Did you say Chiro?" a voice asked.

—

"Anything else yet, Gibson?" Jinmay asked the blue monkey.

"I'm sorry, Jinmay, still nothing," Gibson replied, his eyes glued to the screens in the med bay. He hadn't left for hours. "We can only hope that Antauri and Specter have been successful and are on their way here as we speak."

Deep down, Jinmay secretly doubted it. She was beginning to lose hope.

As she walked into the hallway, Otto bounded in front of her, hopping along. He had a huge smile on his face, and he was humming as he skipped through the hallway.

"What's up with you?" Jinmay asked, questioning his odd behavior.

"I'm happy," Otto said bluntly.

"Why?"

"What do you mean?"

"Chiro's possessed by an evil demon, Otto. How could you be happy about that?"

"I'm not. I'm just as upset as you. But I wouldn't be my normal self if I let myself sulk just because one bad thing happened to us. I'm happy because I know Antauri and Specter are coming home."

"How do you know that?" Jinmay eyed him.

Otto just smiled. "I can feel it."

He then hopped away.

Jinmay thought about what he had said. She had been sulking, but there were a lot of good things. Like the fact that she had the Hyperforce for comfort, and whenever she felt sad, someone would always be there to put a smile on her face.

She began to run after Otto, her face spreading into a grin.

—

Suddenly, the wind stopped blowing.

A figure was now standing on the rock in the middle of the pond. Specter's eyes widened, and a grin played across his face.

"Welcome to Suragara," the figure said, its voice feminine. She clapped her hands together and gave a slight bow. For some reason, they could still hear her over the roar of the falls. Her eyes then widened. "Specter? Is that you?"

The figure was wearing pretty much all white, like a long dress. It had a golden trim along the bottom, and it went to her feet. Her hair was long, almost to the middle of her back, and was a deep black color—the same as Chiro's. It had a red streak through it (which in my opinion looks really cool). Her eyes, just like Chiro's, were a shining sapphire blue.

"Yes, it's me, Kylia," Specter announced, nodding. He held his hands together and bowed.

"You mentioned Chiro," Kylia murmured. "Is he alive?"

"Barely," Antauri muttered. He took a step forward. "I am Antauri, leader of the Hyperforce. Chiro has become our leader, and, as of a few months ago, we have had a few run-ins with the Skeleton Prince spirit. Once, I thought I had gotten rid of it. It somehow survived, and has possessed him once more. We need your help—your power—to help us get rid of it and save Chiro."

"The Skeleton Prince will be ruthless this time, tearing apart all resistance he finds until he can tear apart the universe," Specter added.

Kylia didn't answer for a long time. Then, finally, she said, "Why did he run away from me?"

Antauri sighed. "He did what any young boy would do. He was afraid. But, not on accident, found the people and the power to keep the spirit at bay, for all over two years." He smiled. "Your son is the Chosen One of the Power Primate."

Kylia blinked. "The Power Primate? Is that why you seem so familiar?"

Antauri nodded.

"And why did you disappear?" she wondered, turning her head to look at Specter.

"I was doing what I was built to do; I was guarding Chiro."

"Antauri, I must inform you that a spirit this powerful cannot be destroyed. I can help you get it out of him, but someone else must trap it within this." She held up a hand, a small blue crystal stone dangling from a string she gripped with her fingers.

"The Demons' Stone," Specter breathed. "You took it?"

"I did not take it," Kylia said. "It rightfully belongs to me."

Specter opened his mouth to speak, then said, "I knew that…"

Kylia chuckled. She stepped off the stone she was still standing on, walking over the water before stepping onto the shore, in front of Specter and Antauri.

"Take me to my son," she said. "I will take care of the demon prince."


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten: Invasion**

The darkness of the room was no match for him. Red eyes opened in the darkness. More eyes, all of them white, began to appear as an evil laugh filled the Robot. The shadows of the room gave him strength, and the laughing abruptly stopped…

—

The alarm blared above the heads of the Hyperforce. The red light flashed on and off, of course catching the attention of the Hyperforce. They stared at the red light, wondering what was going on.

Then, they ran.

As the entered Chiro's room, they were met with the familiar blackness. Then, sets of eyes opened, one by one, then in sets of two, until the room was full of them. Although, one set of eyes were a cold red.

"Get them," a deadly voice commanded. "Make sure they die."

The eyes stepped into the hallway, forcing the Hyperforce back as they activated their weapons. The eyes turned out to be Formless. They were just like the Skeleton King's Formless, except they were black, white and _red_.

The Formless transformed their hands into a multitude of weapons identical to the Hyperforce's—drills, claws, saws and the like (only the sharp weapons of Gibson, Otto and Antauri). Then, right before they could attack, an explosion rang through the Super Robot.

Outside, the giant machine fell down.

Chiro stepped out of the wreckage of the giant ship, smirking. He was in the same outfit Antauri saw him in, in the vision he had (see chapter nine). His eye flared.

One of the Formless came up to him. This one was just black and red. "Have you captured them?" the Skeleton Prince asked, his voice deep.

The Formless shook its head.

He blinked. He held up a hand, a dark energy blast destroying the Formless. Nothing was left of it until another, identical one took its place.

"Kill them," the Skeleton Prince demanded.

—

"We have to hurry!" Specter said. "We have Kylia, go Hyper-speed!"

Antauri nodded, pulling back on the controls. The ship went faster, and Antauri closed his eyes as the rainbow tunnel consumed the ship.

Then, they slowed down as they approached Shuggazoom.

"Shuggazoom?" Kylia questioned. "So he really did come here."

"Yes, he's been here for a while," Antauri stated. "I just hope he'll stay that way."

—

"A Formless invasion?" Gibson asked no one in particular. "But the Skeleton King is gone!"

"The Skeleton Prince has all of his powers," Nova pointed out as they ran. There were way too many Formless for them to fight, and now the Super Robot was wrecked.

"We need to find a place to hide!" Sparx shouted.

Otto slapped him. "No you moron! They'll find us anywhere. We need to go to a place they can't reach!"

"Like where?"

Ten minutes later…

"Otto, you're a genius," Sparx complemented.

"I beg to differ," Gibson said, sounding insulted.

They were on the top of the tallest building in Shuggazoom, looking down on the city. It was night now, and the moon was a half moon. They looked over the edge.

"What I don't understand is why we had to climb over fifty stories to get this high when we could just have flown," Gibson asked, looking at Otto.

"We couldn't have flown without exposing ourselves to him," Jinmay murmured. She closed her eyes. "When do you think Antauri and Specter will come back?"

Her question didn't need to be answered; even before he sentence was finished, she saw a small light in the sky slowly turn into a ship and start gliding towards the ground…

—

The Skeleton Prince gazed up at the sky. A ship was slowly descending into the city, near the totaled Super Robot. He turned to the Formless standing next to him.

"Take care of the ship. The Hyperforce is mine."

—

Antauri landed the ship as gently as he could; he was slightly panicking because he saw the near-destroyed Super Robot and Chiro was nowhere in sight.

"What happened?" Specter asked quietly.

"Formless!" Antauri shouted, not really answering. On the screen, it showed a bunch of Formless approaching the ship. He turned to Specter. "You take Kylia to somewhere safe. Try and find the others."

Specter nodded, grabbed Kylia's hand, and ran out of the ship.

Antauri also got out, standing on top of his ship, watching the Formless make their way slowly up to the ship. He activated his binocular vision, looking around the city. He saw the others, on the roof of a very tall building, looking around. He saw a dark figure flying up to them. Too bad Specter had also found the others and flown up to them, exposing them.

Antauri didn't think about that now. The Formless attacked.

—

_Inside the dream world, Chiro banged his shoulder against a door. The door didn't break. He continued until his shoulder was sore and the door seemed to be mocking him. This door didn't have a visible lock, but it was still locked._

_Chiro knew he had no control of his body in the waking world, and he most likely never will again, but he had to keep moving. Sometime really soon, something bad was going to happen to him in this dream realm unless he could keep moving._

_The door he had entered through slammed shut, a clicking sound signifying that it was now locked. Red eyes flared in the darkness, and a chilling laugh sounded._

_"Well, well, well…"_

—

The monkeys screeched as a figure flew up the side of the building to them; however, it was only Specter…and some woman.

"I'm guessing you are Chiro's mother?" Otto asked politely, holding his hand out to shake. "I'm Otto."

Kylia took his hand and shook it. "I'm Kylia. Yes, I'm Chiro's mother."

The rest of the introductions were made, and then, they got serious. Obviously, Specter flying up to them would no doubt give away their hiding spot, so they had to move as fast as they could and get to Antauri.

Then, a dark figure flew up the side of the building, landing on the ledge, crouching there and watching them with red eyes. It then spoke.

"So sad. Just by looking at you, I can discern your plans. They shall never work."

"Why are you doing this?" Kylia demanded. "Release Chiro now!"

The Prince stared at her. "Kylia…?" he breathed incredulously. "How can you still be alive? I killed you long ago!"

"Nice try, but no one could kill me like you attempted to," Kylia shot back.

Otto stepped forward with his saws held in front of his torso. "Let Chiro go!"

The Prince looked down at him with those blazing red eyes, making Otto shudder visibly. "Why ever would I do that? I _own_ him."

"No one owns Chiro!" Nova shouted fiercely. She held out her fists and took a step forward, ready to punch him.

"But I do," was the solemn answer. "Your feeble minds do not understand. I created the reincarnation line of the humans I would possess. Chiro is the current incarnation. I created him, in general."

"You still don't own him!" Sparx yelled. "He's a hero, you're just a demon. Two different people in one body."

"He's a hero, eh?" The Skeleton Prince cocked his head. Then, he smiled. "Not anymore."

With a cackle, he lashed out with a fist, catching Specter unawares and throwing him off the opposite side of the rooftop.

"You monster!" Nova screeched. She ran forward, her fists out to punch him in the face.

He just held out a hand and grabbed her wrist, stopping her fist just an inch from his face. Nova grunted in confusion, then her other fist came out. He grabbed that one as well with his other hand, showing no effort in stopping them.

He flew up in the air, taking Nova with him. With a flash of his hand, he disabled her jetpack…

…and dropped her.

—

_Chiro laid his hands on the ground, panting. He closed his eyes, blocking out his vision. Something grabbed him by the wrist and lifted him up._

_"You pathetic excuse for a hero," the voice said. "You can't even save yourself from the evil within you."_

_Chiro grimaced and looked up. His foot swung out to kick whatever was holding him, but his foot hit nothing. He let out a yell._

_"Do you think you are trying to scare me?" The figure tightened its grip on his wrist and brought him closer. Chiro was now looking into two red eyes. "I don't see why you keep fighting. It's hopeless. You are only causing yourself more pain."_

_It dropped Chiro to the floor, and he looked up, unable to stand. "Well, allow me to bring an end to your pitiful battle…" was the last thing Chiro heard before he was consumed by blackness._

—

Antauri fared pretty well against the Formless. They were the usual—not very powerful; they wanted to overcome you with massive numbers instead of brute strength.

Specter was suddenly by his side, fighting alongside him with black ghost claws similar to Antauri's. They nodded to each other, then…

…they tore the Formless apart.

Soon, there was nothing left of any of the creatures except for a lot of black ooze that covered the Brain Scrambler, Antauri and Specter themselves, and the ground.

They looked at each other with a look of accomplishment on their faces. That all changed when they heard someone screaming. They both looked to the building far behind them, and…

"Nova!" Antauri shouted.

—

Now, Nova decided she didn't like falling. The Skeleton Prince was holding the others back from trying to help her, and she couldn't use her jetpack. Nova closed her eyes. The ground came closer…

…then stopped.

Nova opened her eyes slowly, seeing herself hovering just above the ground, her arms being held behind her back. She looked up to see Antauri holding her arms and preventing her from falling face-first on the concrete. She smiled, glad to see him, and he smiled back, his face turning serious as he flew her up to the rooftop.

The Skeleton Prince hissed as he realized Nova was alive. He looked at each monkey, then Jinmay, then Kylia. He glowered at them. He actually seemed flustered. He didn't know what to do as he anxiously looked from team member to team member.

He then stepped backwards. Still on the ledge of the roof, he let his foot dangle over the edge. The hearts of the Hyperforce jumped.

"I just want you to remember one thing," he whispered. "I hold Chiro's life in my hands. I can kill him just as easily as I can kill all of you, but with him…he can't fight back."

He then stepped off the roof, spreading the cape he wore out to the wind. He side of the cape acted as wings, and he flew off into the night.

After a minute the Hyperforce finally looked around. Kylia fell to her knees and looked in the direction the Prince had flown. Specter put a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry, we'll get him," he promised her.

She looked at him, trying to smile.

Everyone looked up as a soft rumbling filled the sky. Storm clouds were gathering. Thunder filled the air, and streaks of lightning flared down. Otto closed his eyes as rain began to fall. He then spoke.

"We should get going. We can't just stand here. We have to do something now."

Everyone stared at him, the green monkey becoming a grey color because of the darkness in the sky. Antauri frowned.

"One second," he said.

He floated in the air in a meditative position. He closed his eyes and concentrated…

—

_The lights were out. Antauri knew where he was, but he technically wasn't 'there'. He saw nothing at first, then he could make out a door in front of him._

_There were no doors behind him, so whatever was going to happen, he would find an answer behind this door._

_Ho reached out and slowly turned the doorknob. It smoothly opened, and he pushed the door the rest of the way._

_This room was even darker than the last._

_Finally, after a long time, lights slowly faded in. His eyes widened as he saw something he never wanted to see._

_A tube of green light came up from the floor and into the ceiling. The tube was not made of glass, or plastic, but _energy._ Something was in it, surrounded by the energy swirling around the tube._

_"Simple, really," a voice said._

_Antauri spun around to face the ghost, its red eyes boring into his very soul. But it didn't seem to want to fight. Only talk. Or rant._

_The ghost floated over to him and pushed him away from the tube before speaking._

_"I told you before," it said. "I own him. He could never even hope to defeat me, at least within his own mind. He clearly lost that battle, as you can see."_

_Antauri blinked, unable to speak._

_"You shall all follow. The dreaded Power Primate kept me back, but just like anything, it can be contained." A deadly chuckle followed this. "The Skeleton King was a fluke. He is nothing compared to me. Skeleton Prince is just a name. Of course, Chiro is related to him, but I am not. The Skeleton King could never compare to me. Why do you think he never mentioned me? All he wanted was mindless destruction."_

_Its eyes began to glow fiercely, and it flew past Antauri, the air pressure knocking him backwards, slamming him hard into the concrete wall._

This is a warning,_ a voice whispered as Antauri's vision faded. He kept his eyes locked on the soft green light. _Stand in my way once more, I will not hesitate to kill you all. And you know I can.

_Antauri then left the dream world._


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven: My Way**

Antauri's eyes shot open. He didn't know where he was. Then, he realized he was being carried. By Kylia.

"Antauri?" Nova's voice drifted to him. "Are you okay?"

"I'm…fine," Antauri answered, grimacing as he was put down on the ground. The others were walking; to where was unclear to him now. He began to walk, following them.

"What happened back there?" Sparx asked. "You suddenly fell over and stopped moving. We thought you had…" He didn't finish.

"The Skeleton Prince finally has complete control over Chiro," Antauri said. "He said that Chiro is gone." He closed his eyes and refused to talk.

"Chiro is not gone," Specter said. "I've gone too far; and lost too much to be stopped now." He clenched his fists. "I will not rest until that demon is dead—or I am."

Nova shot him a look, alarmed. "What?!"

Specter didn't say anything else, becoming as silent as Antauri. "We all need to think," Kylia said quietly. "We need a plan."

"Where are we going?" Antauri asked.

"Where else?" Sparx said sarcastically. "The Super Robot's busted, and the Prince ripped apart the Brain Scrambler with his bare hands—which was actually really cool." He glanced at Antauri. "No offense. We're going to the Zone of Wasted Years. Don't ask why; we're following the Skeleton Prince."

Jinmay nodded. "He's probably trying to get somewhere."

Specter activated his jetpack and hovered above the ground. They were now a good distance from the bridge outside ShuggazoomCity, entering the Zone of Wasted Years. "Walking has been taking up too much time. We have to fly!"

The others nodded, forgetting about flying. Otto and Gibson grabbed Kylia's arms, supporting her as they began to fly.

Specter began to fly faster. "Specter, slow down!" Nova shouted.

"No!" was the response. "Anytime wasted is too much! We may already be too late!" He turned back to them, but continued to fly. "I'm beginning to think none of you care about Chiro. I think you just care about stopping the Prince, not saving him."

"What?" Kylia asked, calmly. "How dare you say that I don't care about my own son!"

"I didn't mean you; I meant the Hyperforce." With this, he glared at each of them in turn. "They were built to protect the universe from the Skeleton King—and any other evil they may encounter. That includes Chiro himself. You all think that—if you want to stop him now—the only way is to destroy him, even if it means killing Chiro. I know there is another way. And I will find it."

With that, he shot off ahead of them, vanishing over the horizon. Everyone called after him, but after a while, they began to fly faster as well.

"What's up with him?" Otto asked. "Why's he so mad?"

"He's scared," Kylia told him. "He speaks the truth, almost. He was created to protect Chiro, and if this battle ends badly, then he would have failed in his life's goal. But you also care about Chiro. He just doesn't realize that."

"He's worried that, if he fails, he fails Chiro," Otto breathed. "Failed him as a friend."

Everyone stared at him. "What?" he asked. "I'm smart, sometimes. I just know how badly this could end."

—

Specter flew over the land, the wind blowing in his face. He thought about what had happened. He shouldn't have blown up like that at the Hyperforce. He promised Chiro he would become a member of the team after all this was over, but he couldn't do that if the team hated him.

He stopped flying. The sky was lightening. The wind became chilling, and Specter shivered.

"Why do you continue to pursue me?" a voice asked.

Specter turned to see the Skeleton Prince standing behind him. He seemed calm; like he didn't want to fight.

"Release Chiro," Specter asked. "Now."

"I believe you mortals do not understand the concept of 'no'."

He suddenly lashed out, clipping Specter on the chin with his fist, throwing him backwards. Specter picked himself up and rubbed his chin.

With a yell, he charged at the Prince, only for him to step aside, causing Specter to fall down, looking like a fool. He didn't waste any time; he got right back up, using his ghost claws to strike the Skeleton Prince, sending him stumbling back. He stood up and chuckled.

"You believe you can defeat me," he said. "I'm sorry to say your attempts will be futile. You will only lose your life in a hopeless battle."

With one last swipe of the hand, Specter was sent flying backwards, banging his head on the ground and causing his vision to blur. He picked himself up.

"I am getting tired of your attempts," the Prince muttered. "Dealing with you vermin is beneath me, but you should understand that."

"What are you talking about?" Specter demanded.

"You hate the Hyperforce, don't you? I can see it in your eyes. You believe you are failing your purpose in life, but by hating them, you are hurting yourself even more. The alchemist would be ashamed of you. Tell me… Is this about Chiro…or your ego?"

Specter fell to his knees. The Prince was right. He never even thought about it. He couldn't fight this monster; he wasn't as powerful as he used to be and the Prince was only gaining strength. Now, there was only one thing to do.

"I care about Chiro…" Specter said. "More than anything. I just don't want to fail him."

"Pathetic," the Prince muttered.

"Let Chiro go…" Specter whispered. "And I'll do whatever you want."

"What ever I want, eh?" The Prince's eyes turned a dark red. "Then die."

Then, a huge explosion sounded. A blood-curling scream accompanied it, traveling to all four corners of the planet…

—

_In the nightmare world, the Prince was startled to see a crack appear in the pillar of green light. That wasn't supposed to happen. Then, a shout resonated through the entire dream land, and the ground shook._

_"Specter!"_

_The ground continued to shake, and the Prince took a step back, his hands shaking. "Uh-oh…"_

—

The Hyperforce jerked to a stop when a bright flash of white light appeared not far in front of them. They had not seen the confrontation, so they didn't know what happened.

"What was that?" Jinmay shrieked.

They flew as fast as they could, finally reached the spot. Gibson and Otto set Kylia down gently on the ground.

Specter was lying on the ground, his eyes tightly shut, his breathing shallow. Nova ran over to him. The others were about to follow, but another figure picked himself up from the ground.

It was the Prince. His eyes were wide—with fright. Green electricity was flashing along his arms and the rest of his body, and he closed his eyes. Standing up, he let out a yell of frustration.

"What's going on?" Otto asked, scared.

"I don't know…" Gibson said.

"I know what to do now," Kylia breathed. "Please, help Specter."

"What's going on?" Gibson repeated, demanding an answer.

Kylia tensed up. "He's losing control."

With that, she ran towards the Skeleton Prince, taking a shining blue stone from around her neck. The others ran to Specter, but Antauri stayed where he was, his blue eyes shining slightly, although that may have been from the rising sun's reflection…

Kylia ran and reached out to grab the Prince's arm. He looked up and dodged just in time.

—

_Another crack appeared in the pillar of light. The green light began to shine brightly out, and another shout sounded as the shaking grew more intense._

_"Mom!"_

_The Prince took another step back, his hand brushing against the door. He had nowhere else to go, and the light was becoming blinding…_

—

Kylia showed impressive abilities and agility while trying to attack the Prince. Although, she just seemed to be trying to grab hold of him, not hurt him.

"We end this my way!" she said.

"You think this is going to end so soon?" the Prince asked.

"Yes…I…do!" Kylia swirled around, her dress spinning with her, and grabbed the Prince's arm.

Time stood still.

—

_The pillar of light was disintegrating. It wasn't just destroying itself, it was destroying the dream world and anything in it._

_The Prince held his hands out, trying to deflect the light away from him. "No!" he shouted. "This can't be the end!"_

—

Kylia took the Demon's Stone she was holding and put it around the Prince's neck. The stone shone with a white light, and the Prince stood up, staggered back, and tried to get the stone away from him. He couldn't. It seemed like it was attached to him.

Kylia stood up and stepped back and allowed the stone to do what it was created to do.

Trap evil demons inside of it.

—

_He felt his form fading away as he was bombarded with green light. He had trapped the Power Primate—and Chiro—but they were breaking free now, after the attack on Specter._

_The Prince gripped the ground, trying to keep a hold on the last of his world, but it still fell apart, like tiles falling into a black void of nothingness. In that void, a white light shone, like a bright star, and sucked up everything—except the Power Primate._

_With one last scream, the Prince fell, and into the white light, vanishing forever…_

_The pillar of green light was the only thing remaining when it became silent. Then, with a flash, it shattered, the green light filling up the plane of Chiro's mind once again, consuming it with a calm, green light._

—

The black on the clothes of the Prince seemingly melted off, being sucked into the stone. White appeared beneath the black; orange beneath the red. His eyes became blue and shining.

The monkeys were shielding their eyes against the bright light. Once the light died down, they looked to the source.

Kylia was on her knees, her arms wrapped around Chiro. His eyes were closed, and he had his arms wrapped around her neck, a smile on his face, tears streaming down his face. The stone was still around his neck, still shining. He back away a little and took the stone from his neck. He held it up before his eyes.

"He's gone Chiro," Kylia told him. "The Prince has been trapped within the Demons' Stone." She smiled. "Even he can't get out of there."

Chiro nodded. "I missed you mom," he said quietly.

She smiled back. "And I missed you. More than you will ever know.

Suddenly, a frown appeared on Chiro's face. "Specter! Where is he?"

Kylia nodded over to the group of monkeys, and they stepped aside as Chiro ran over to Specter. Specter had his eyes closed and didn't see him.

"Specter?" Chiro whispered.

Specter opened one eye, and, seeing Chiro, shakily sat up. "I'll be okay…" he said, his voice raspy. "I've taken harder hits."

Chiro smiled and grabbed him into a hug. Specter blinked, not expecting this, and hugged him back. The rest of the monkeys joined in, along with Jinmay, with Kylia watching not far from the group. She smiled.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve: Goodbye**

"Chiro?" Nova found him outside the Super Robot, sitting on its shoulder. He looked at her.

"Did you find him?" Chiro asked.

"No," Nova answered, shaking her head. "We don't know where Specter is."

"He probably left," Kylia murmured, coming up behind Nova. "His duty has been fulfilled. That's all he ever wanted."

"But why did he run off?" Chiro asked.

"I do not know," Kylia answered.

And, with that, Chiro stood up and walked inside, not saying another word or seen for the rest of the night.

—

"You're leaving? Why?"

Kylia kneeled down to Chiro's level. "I've missed you so much, Chiro dear. But I have a job. I must return the Demons' Stone to Crysignia, and then return to Suragara to keep peace in the galaxy. I'm always watching you, and so is Specter." With that, she glanced around. "Even if you can't see him."

They were standing next to one of the Super Robot's feet. The others watched the two talking from afar. They knew Chiro was upset; Specter said he might join the team, but nothing was absolute. Chiro was devastated to hear Specter had run off.

"Where'd he go?" Chiro asked.

"I wish I knew," Kylia answered. "I do know this: He will return, when you need him most."

"But I want him here on the team!" Chiro said, almost yelling.

Chiro finally calmed down a bit after seeing the look on Kylia's face; a mixture of regret and confusion.

"Well…I guess he'll be back," Chiro assured himself, looking down. He looked up, a smile on his face, and added, "I can't wait for that day."

Antauri took a step forward. "How will you get home?"

"I have ways," Kylia replied. "It was nice to meet all of you. You say you were created by the Alchemist?"

All of the monkeys nodded.

Kylia lowered her head and whispered, "I miss him."

Chiro didn't say anything, looking back down to the floor. "I guess this is it," he said softly.

"Goodbye, Chiro," Kylia said, almost to herself. "I'll miss you."

She began to walk off, then she began to run, jumping into the air, her form fading away.

Chiro stood there for a while, finally saying, "Goodbye mom."

He then turned to the team; all of them were watching him with odd looks on their faces. He approached them and sighed. "Guys, I'm so sorry."

Antauri cocked his head in confusion. "For what?"

"I should have told you the truth long ago," Chiro said. "I put you all in danger, I nearly cost you your lives, all because of one secret. I just never wanted this to happen."

"But it did," Otto said, smiling a little. "And we made it through. Alive."

Chiro smiled. Nova glanced at Otto and asked, "How do you always know what to say?"

"I just…do!" Otto said happily, jumping up and down.

Chiro laughed. He looked to the horizon, saying, "Well, the Skeleton Prince will never escape that stone. It was created to keep evil spirits trapped. No one can let them out, only trap them."

"Even if he does escape, we'll just beat him again!" Sparx said, punching the air with his fist. "Together."

"Just remember one thing," Antauri stated. He smiled. "No secrets."

Chiro nodded, and looked up to the sky as the team began to repair the Super Robot. His grin widened as the breeze hit his face, and he began to help the others.

—

"Chiro?"

Antauri stepped into Chiro's room. He was sitting on the bed, and looked at Antauri as he entered.

"The journals have been destroyed," Chiro told him. "No more of that. I'm glad it's over. Hopefully this'll be the last time."

"It is, Chiro," Antauri said. "Now, we all have each other, and there's nothing we can't do together."

Chiro smiled, nodding.

—

On the roof of the tallest building on Shuggazoom, there was a radio antenna. A figure stood on the top of it, looking at the Super Robot.

"I'll be back, Chiro," Specter whispered. "Someday."

He jumped into the air and vanished.

**_THE END!_**

**The repost is over. These three stories are old, but to be honest, I'm 20 now. There isnt a day that goes by that I don't think of this old show. I miss it sooo much :(**

****-Ashley and Emarelda


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